James Foley Foundation a partner in DC mural to raise awareness about hostages

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the Bring Our Families Home Campaign, a campaign led by family members of Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad, is set to unveil a public mural in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The James Foley Foundation founded by Diane and John Foley, parents of slain journalist James Foley, is a partner in the mural project.

"Our focus has not changed since the convictions of those responsible for James' death," said Diane Foley. "We work to return home people being held in foreign countries to America. We also work for the general safety of journalists worldwide."

The Foleys are originally from Rochester. Their son, journalist James Foley went missing from Syria in November of 2012. The Islamic State released a video of his murder on Aug. 19, 2014.

This year, two men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were convicted of his murder. Kotey faces life in prison, serving 15 years in the United States and then being sent to England to face further trials. Elsheikh will be sentenced in August.

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According to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation website, there are 64 publicly known cases of Americans being held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world.

"The numbers change constantly," Diane Foley said. "It is hard to pin down, but I think it is up to around 70 now. The Bring Our Families Home Campaign is intended to raise awareness of the urgent family need for action. "

Foley said the 2020 Levinson Act has helped open the door for action on recovering hostages. The legislation offers avenues to determine if a person is being held illegally and outlines steps for action to bring the person home.

"It helps to define who is being held unfairly,' said Foley. "It is often more complex after a state action to bring someone home, wading through foreign policy. A person might have done something, perhaps considered a minor crime. It is not reason for torture, for death. We work closely with legislators on the Hill to make sure we act swiftly, to make sure countries know there are consequences for taking our citizens. The buck stops with legislators. We compete with other issues so it can be frustrating but we are committed."

There are hostages held all over the world.

"Iran's leaders have done this for many years," said Foley. "They are closely followed by China. Venezuela, Syria are involved. The hostages we are working to free can be found on our website. We try to keep close track there, and we are always working with about 10 to 15 families at a time."

The mural, designed and installed by Iowan artist Isaac Campbell, will use the wheat paste technique to capture the faces of 18 Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.

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Campbell is an artist and communication studies scholar from central Iowa, who has been awarded numerous local, state, and federal grants for his wheat paste murals, and works with local leaders and activists to create community-based art projects.

Provided by Foley, the hostages depicted on the mural include Brittney Griner far right, Emad Shargi, Luke Denman, Alirio Zambrano, Morad Tahbaz, Mark Swidan, Jose Angel Pereira, Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Jose Luis Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Matthew Heath, Majd Kamalmaz, Airan Berry, Paul Whelan, Shahab Dalili, Kai Li and Paul Rusesabagina.

Campbell explained why he used wheat paste for the mural.

"The mural is made from flour, water, sugar, and paper - it will fade, tear, and eventually disappear over time," Campbell said. "What will be done for these Americans by the time the mural disappears? I hope this work reminds us all of the urgency of this campaign and inspires our government to use the tools available to bring these American citizens home - before their faces fade away and disappear from this wall."

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Among those expected to speak for the families at the unveiling are Alexandra Forseth, whose father and uncle are being held in Venezuela; Neda Sharghi, whose brother is held in Iran; and Harrison Li, whose father is held in China.

"This is a short-term campaign," said Foley. "The mural will not last. I will speak on Wednesday, as will families of hostages. I will speak after the families. We want them to know we have their backs. Americans held abroad and journalists around the world are at greater risk than ever. We will not stop advocating for their safety."

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Foley Foundation partners with Bring Our Families Home on DC mural